Fyre Festival Founder Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison

Billy McFarland, the entrepreneur who founded 2017’s ill-fated Fyre Festival, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, The New York Times reports. McFarland was arrested in June 2017 following an FBI investigation into Fyre Fest and Fyre Media. He was accused of multiple offenses, including making false statements to overstate the company’s financial stability to potential investors, as well as sharing fraudulent documents. McFarland pleaded guilty earlier this year after entering an initial plea of not guilty.

McFarland recently pleaded guilty to separate counts of wire fraud and money laundering. He was accused of running a business that sold fraudulent tickets to events such as the Grammy, Coachella, the Met Gala, and more.